Here's hoping Michael Young stays put

It's a shame that Michael Young is demanding a trade because it really is in his best statistical interest to remain a member of the Texas Rangers. It doesn't take long to realize that Young has pretty extreme home/road splits, not only in 2010 but his entire career, and fantasy owners have been relying on those home numbers for years. I won't speculate on where Young might be headed, because I'm skeptical it happens at all. Players demanding trades rarely get what they seek.

Andrew Weber/US PresswireMichael Young finished 7th among third basemen on the 2010 Player Rater.

If Young wants to play on a strong offensive team, he should stay where he is. The Rangers have a relative chokehold on the top hitters in the American League West, and one would think Young -- even misled, manipulated or whatever he claims -- would want to remain part of the AL champs, whether he's the designated hitter or a super-utility guy. Fantasy owners want him in Texas, want him adding first and second base eligibility and want him hitting second in a terrific batting order.

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Eric Karabell

Eric Karabell is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric contributes to ESPN The Magazine and appears on a variety of digital platforms for ESPN.com. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2011.

Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors all Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.